KENTSTAYCATION
The Blue Pigeons cont... not disappoint, layered with roast-chicken butter sauce and dotted with tarragon gnocchi, bright peas and tender broad beans. Does anything beat a chef’ s panfinished chicken? I’ d argue rarely when done with such aplomb.
Desserts were playful yet tastefully refined. The vanilla panna cotta wobbled delicately, surrounded by Kentish strawberries, shards of white chocolate and a glinting sparkling wine jelly. The chocolate dessert, meanwhile, was all richness and crunch: toasted hazelnuts, golden caramel and a scoop of milk ice cream that melted lazily on the tongue.
The wine list was smart and interesting, with a nod to Kentish vineyards, and the cocktails, confidently mixed, had us beginning with classics-with-a-twist and ending with us being guinea pigs for a new curation for their forthcoming occasion dining: an Old Fashioned with a herbal rosemary twist let down with ginger ale.
And of course each dish and drink was enjoyed to a backdrop of a beautifully imagined dining space: exposed brickwork, reclaimed wooden floors, jewel-toned banquette seats and countrycore artwork.
The Blue Pigeons has achieved something quite special: a dining destination and exclusive boutique bolthole that still feels rooted in the village, elevated by fine cooking and genuine hospitality. Served throughout with smiles and genuine enthusiasm, it’ s clear that the team will not rest on any laurels to achieve perfection across kitchen, bar, stay or experience. It’ s the kind of place you’ d be proud to call your local, and lucky to discover if you’ re not a local yourself.
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132 • www. insidekent. co. uk